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Dennis Mark Interdonato, brokered by Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living
A white front porch with an American flag on its pole, fading into a fine-line drawing of a home beside a flag

New Jersey Real Estate For The Military

Buying and selling at the Jersey Shore on a military timeline, with an agent who served 10 years in the U.S. Army Reserve.

What's My Home Worth?

Areas We Serve

MonmouthOceanMiddlesexBurlingtonMercerSomersetCamdenGloucesterBergenEssex counties, New Jersey

See where we work

KW Military

Orders Don't Wait For The Market

Military moves run on someone else's calendar. A report date, a transfer or a separation date sets the timeline, and the sale or purchase has to fit around it. That calls for an agent who plans backward from your date and keeps everything moving.

I'm Dennis Mark Interdonato, REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living and the Market Center Representative for KW Military. I served 10 years in the U.S. Army Reserve as an artilleryman and a Drill Sergeant, and was honorably discharged in 2007.

A Drill Sergeant's job is getting people ready on a deadline. That's how I run a transaction: one plan built around your date, and follow-through every day until it's done.

What You Get On A Military Move

Timeline

Planned From Your Date

We start with the date that can't move and work backward: when to list, when to shop, when to close.

Financing

VA Loan Ready

If you're using a VA-backed loan, I write and negotiate your offer to fit it. Your lender confirms your eligibility and the loan details.

Selling

Sell From Your Next Post

Already moved, or moving before the home sells? I handle the showings, updates and paperwork, and keep you informed wherever you're stationed.

Buying

Shop Before You Arrive

I set up your search, send the right homes early, and preview them for you, so the days you're here go to the best options.

Inspection

A Builder's Read

I'm a former New Jersey home builder and residential remodeler. On a tour I'm reading the structure, the mechanicals and the renovation work, so you know what you're buying.

Straight Talk

Straight Answers

I tell people what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. On a tight timeline, that saves you time and money.

Small wooden model house beside a calculator, a pen and paperwork on a wooden desk

From VA.gov

VA Home Loan Basics

If you've served, a VA-backed purchase loan may be one of your options. According to VA.gov (page updated January 7, 2026; checked October 2026), its benefits include:

  • No down payment, as long as the sales price isn't higher than the home's appraised value
  • No private mortgage insurance (PMI) or mortgage insurance premium (MIP)
  • Fewer closing costs, which may be paid by the seller
  • Better terms and interest rates than other loans from private banks, mortgage companies or credit unions
Read The Military Buyer Guide

VA.gov also says you'll need a Certificate of Eligibility (COE), you'll need to meet the lender's credit and income standards, and you have to plan to live in the home. Your lender confirms all of it. My part is an offer that works with the loan you're using.

Maria A.

"... He's always willing to help every step of the way no matter the time of day. He's extremely passionate about what he does and goes above and beyond to get the job done. Throughout the home buying process, he made sure he knew exactly what fit our needs and what we were looking for as first time home buyers. 10/10 would recommend Dennis to anyone looking to find their dream home!"

Google review, first-time buyers with a VA loan

Ashley M.

"Dennis gets the job done! As first time home buyers we were not very familiar with the process; Dennis educated us and walked with us every step of the way! He crossed his T's, dotted his I's and made us feel stress free! I recommend him to anyone in the market. Thank you Dennis!"

Google review, first-time buyers with a VA loan

Step One Give Me Your Date

Report date, transfer or separation date: tell me the one that can't move, and we build the plan backward from it.

Giving Back To Veterans

Each year I organize a Veteran Food Pantry Drive benefiting the Bill Reeves Food Pantry in Toms River, housed by Vetwork. It keeps me connected to my veteran roots and to the community that supports them.

Naval Weapons Station Earle is in Monmouth County, and the Lakehurst section of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is in Ocean County. I cover every town in both counties, and my team represents homes anywhere in New Jersey. See where we work.

Explore The Towns
Photo: Dennis Mark Interdonato

Military Move Questions

What service members and veterans ask me first, and what they search for most. Your lender confirms loan eligibility and terms, and tax questions belong with your tax professional.

Can you help if I'm not in New Jersey yet?

Yes. I can set up your search, send you the right homes as they come up, preview them for you, and keep you updated until you arrive.

Do you work with VA home loans?

Yes. Your lender confirms your eligibility and loan details, and I write and negotiate your offer to fit the loan you're using. For the basics, VA.gov's purchase loan page is the official source.

Can I sell my home after I've already moved?

Yes. I handle the showings, updates and paperwork, and keep you informed wherever you're stationed.

Did you serve?

Yes. I served 10 years in the U.S. Army Reserve as an artilleryman and a Drill Sergeant, and was honorably discharged in 2007.

What is KW Military?

KW Military is Keller Williams' program for serving military members and veterans. I'm the Market Center Representative for KW Military.

Do you only work with VA buyers?

No. I work with every kind of financing. VA-backed loans are one option for buyers who have served.

How do I get my VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE)?

The COE shows your lender that you qualify. You can request it online at VA.gov, ask your lender to get it through VA's online system, or mail VA Form 26-1880 to your regional loan center. Veterans need a copy of their DD214. Active-duty service members need a statement of service signed by their commander, adjutant or personnel officer (VA.gov, page updated September 22, 2026). I suggest having it in hand before we start touring.

Do National Guard and Reserve members qualify for a VA loan?

Many do. For Reserve members, VA.gov lists at least 90 days of non-training active-duty service, or 6 creditable years in the Selected Reserve while you continue to serve or after an honorable discharge or retirement. National Guard members have similar paths, including at least 90 days of non-training active-duty Title 10 service or 6 creditable years in the Guard (VA.gov eligibility, page updated September 22, 2026). VA confirms your eligibility when you request the COE. I served 10 years in the U.S. Army Reserve myself.

Do I need a down payment or mortgage insurance with a VA loan?

Often, no. VA.gov says there's no down payment as long as the sales price isn't higher than the appraised value, and no private mortgage insurance (VA.gov, page updated January 7, 2026). Your lender still decides how much you can borrow, based on your credit and income.

What is the VA funding fee, and who doesn't pay it?

It's a one-time fee on a VA-backed loan. On a first purchase loan it's 2.15% of the loan with less than 5% down, 1.5% with 5% or more down, and 1.25% with 10% or more. After first use, it's 3.3% with less than 5% down. The funding fee is the one cost you can finance into the loan. You don't pay it if, for example, you receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability, you're a surviving spouse receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, or you're on active duty and show your lender you received a Purple Heart (VA.gov, page updated October 5, 2026).

Can I use a VA loan more than once?

Yes. VA.gov says you can use the benefit again after you sell or refinance a home you bought with a VA-backed loan. VA's Buyer's Guide explains that your entitlement can be restored when that home is sold and the loan repaid, or one time if you've repaid the loan and kept the home. You may also be able to buy again with remaining entitlement while keeping the first loan, as long as you can afford both and the new home is your residence. Your lender works through the numbers.

Can I use a VA loan if I'm deployed or my spouse moves in first?

VA says its home loans are for a home for your own occupancy, or, for active-duty service members, for a spouse or dependent (VA Home Loans, page updated September 15, 2026). Tell your lender early how you'll occupy the home. On my side, I keep everyone updated in writing wherever you're stationed.

Can the seller pay my closing costs on a VA loan?

Yes. VA lets sellers offer credits toward some or all of your closing costs and doesn't limit those credits, but it limits seller concessions to no more than 4% of the home's reasonable value. On a purchase loan, everything other than the funding fee is paid at closing (VA.gov, page updated October 5, 2026). Any credit we negotiate goes into the offer in writing.

What does the VA appraisal check, and do I still need a home inspection?

A VA-approved appraiser checks that the home meets VA's minimum property requirements and gives an opinion of value. VA says an appraisal isn't the same as an inspection and strongly recommends getting one. Make sure your contract includes the VA escape clause, which lets you void it if the home doesn't appraise for the contract price. If the value comes in low, you can request a reconsideration of value, renegotiate the price, or pay the difference at closing (VA.gov, page updated January 7, 2026). As a former builder, I'd never skip the inspection.

Do veterans get a property tax break in New Jersey?

There are two. Honorably discharged veterans with active-duty service who own their home may get an annual $250 property tax deduction. Reservists and National Guard members qualify only if they were called to active duty, not active duty for training. Veterans who were 100% permanently and totally disabled during active-duty service may qualify for a full exemption on their main home. Surviving spouses and partners may also qualify. You apply with your local assessor, and for the $250 deduction the requirements must be met by October 1 of the year before the tax year (NJ Division of Taxation, $250 deduction and 100% disabled veteran exemption, updated August 12, 2025).

This page describes my general approach to military moves. It is not lending, legal or tax advice. Your lender confirms loan eligibility and terms, and your tax professional and local assessor confirm any property tax benefit. Facts in the answers above come from VA and the State of New Jersey, linked beside them and checked October 2026.

Insider Insights

Military home buying benefits, the buying roadmap and down payments in New Jersey.

All 25 Military & VA Articles View All Articles

Success Stories

Real stories from the people we've helped buy and sell their homes.

I would 10/10 recommend him to anyone!!!

Dennis helped us buy our current house and has both professional work ethic and is extrememly knowledgeable. He was always there to answer any questions we had and was very patient with us in the process. I would 10/10 recommend him to anyone and he will continue to be our agent for any future needs.

SPENCER & SARAH RAITT-FOREST
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57 Google reviews as of October 2026. Read them all on Dennis Mark’s Google Business Profile.

Have Questions About A Military Move? Contact Us Below

Share your date and what you're looking for, and I'll send you a plan. Want to see the process first? Read how I help buyers, the buying guide, or visit the contact page.

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